I think the hard part of this study IS the variables. You could do a study of only stone pigs in Emporia, Kansas, and you would still have to contend with diet, water (bottled, tap, well), cage size, bedding, genetics, etc.

When I was expressing my frustrations to my local vet, who (until us) had never really dealt with stones in guinea pigs before, wondering what I was doing wrong, she said, "I don't think you're doing anything wrong. I am beginning to think that stones are extremely common. The difference is that you and Jim pay attention to your animals and recognize something is wrong."

I've had three pigs with stones now, that I've noticed at least. I have mostly females and I wonder how many may pass one or two here or there without me ever noticing. Faith had small stones, just plentiful in numbers and she was able to pass a good deal of them. However, she was never a canidate for surgery so they eventually got the best of her. She had pain and blood, with the multiple small stones. I can't believe Bayleigh and Ruby with these honkers and NEVER a single cry or spot of blood from them. They just lodge at the end of their urethra's and stay, then I'm left with just feeling a hard knot there. Something I'd never notice if I didn't do their little once-over's to check for unusual lumps. Grrrrr.

rshevin, in people certain bacteria cause kidney stones because something that they do drastically alters the acidity of the urine and makes a certain type of stone more able to develop... I wonder if it's similar for pigs.

The study was completed and published in JAVMA, Vol 234, No. 2, January 15, 2009. Results were "contrary to findings of other studies, urinary calculi were most commonly composed of 100% calcium carbonate......treatments including diet and husbandry practices should be developed to help prevent development of calcium carbonate calculi in guinea pigs."

I'm sorry to say the results of this study do not sound very helpful. Using general guidelines for stone formation in other animals (diet-wise) for our guinea pigs, we still have some guinea pigs that form stones.

I also got a copy of the report. I read through it going, "One of those four Abby pigs was my Sully!" I will have to print it out and send it to my vets with a thank-you note for their part in participating in the study.

Lynx -- if you want me to, I can email the report to you tomorrow from work (our AOL dial-up here at home is brutal). Then maybe you can house it somewhere fairly permanent with a link (and delete my post to avoid confusion).